Cat’s Head Covered in Litter Dust

[CatMermaid]

My cat Gearsie has in the last year started emerging more and more from the litter box with litter dust on her head. She’s 13 at a minimum but might be way older and I think she might be losing some of her senses but worried it might be a nutritional deficiency and wanted to see what y’all think.

She’s a very private cat and the litter box is in a big enclosure so I have yet to catch her when she is doing it. But from what I can tell it’s usually after burying poo in several different places and she is always very diligent in the past with checking that her stuff is buried by sniffing around. So I am assuming she’s like putting her head deeper in then before? I still don’t understand how it’s getting on top of her head

The litter is smart cat, and her poos have been a little smelly the last few years cause she mainly only eats canned wet food in her older years. But since I stated adding enzymes from ask Ariel in January 2023 they have gotten a lot less smelly so I’m wondering if that’s part of the reason for the increase in litter on her head? Maybe can’t smell them as well? Is there another reason she might be doing this?

She has a few other health issues I wanted to mention that might be part of it. She’s def seems to be hard of hearing now a days and her eyes seem to be going too. The vet didn’t think anything was wrong. She can still see and hear but it doesn’t seem to be as good. And her eyes are getting a little cloudy. She doesn’t concentrate her urine well and the enzymes and olive leaf extract has helped a lot! But I also need to give her fluids twice a week and it’s been a learning process (meaning I at best have gotten her once a week consistently). And the last concerning thing is she has been licking the floor a lot. Just makes me wonder if she’s mineral deficient or something. Like maybe she’s licking the cat litter?

Any suggestions of what to feed her if it’s maybe a nutritional deficiency? Or what to tell the vet cause they already think I’m a crazy cat mom.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, if the veterinarian isn't listening to your concerns, I would definitely find a different vet if possible.

What are you cleaning the floor where she is licking with? Is there food or a little milk etc on the floor?

Have you considered changing the litter?

What is the food she's getting?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

What kind of floors do you have? Cats with anemia will often lick bricks or clay pots, sometimes even rocks to try to get the minerals out of them. Not saying this is the problem, but IF she is also eating the litter, this might be the issue. Has she has blood work done recently? I'm guessing yes since it's apparent you are aware of many of her health issues. But if you are using clay litter this would be another reason to think it might be a mineral deficiency (iron specifically comes to mind).

I have never heard of a cat sticking their head in the litter to get a smell. My cats to sniff around the box to make sure they have done a good job of covering everything, but never actually stuck their heads into the litter. And they are 14+ years old.